Strangler
The strangler is a creature from the ''Spelljammer'' campaign setting. 2nd Edition Stats Climate/Terrain: Plains Frequency: Rare Organization: Solitary Activity Cycle: Any Diet: Predator Intelligence: Non- (0) Treasure: Nil Alignment: Neutral No. Appearing: 1 Armor Class: 4 (7) Movement: Nil Hit Dice: 6 THAC0: 14 No. of Attacks: 1-6 Damage/Attack: 1-8 Special Attacks: Paralysis, crush Special Defenses: Nil Magic Resistance: Nil Size: G (25' diameter) Morale: Elite (14) XP Value: 3,000 Description Stranglers are carnivorous plants native to the disk world of Plata. The plant's central body is short and stocky - roughly spherical and about 3 feet in diameter. Extending out from this center are 8 "tentacles," arrayed evenly around the plant, each about 10-12 feet long. These tentacles resemble thick green vines, about the thickness of a man's wrist, and extend outward along the ground from the central body. The tentacles are dark green, while the central body is a light greenish-yellow. The green coloration of a strangler implies that the plant is at least partially photosynthetic. But this isn't its only source of sustenance. Although the long tentacular vines are usually stationary, they can under the right circumstances move extremely fast. The "right circumstances" is the approach of an animal of some kind within range of one or more tentacles. Tentacles lash out in an attempt to capture the animal and drag it into a fleshy mouth that opens in the top of the central body. Once the animal is "swallowed," the strangler's digestive enzymes dissolve it over a period of several hours. Nobody knows exactly what senses a strangler possesses. It is unaffected by either darkness or bright light, and doesn't react to sound or silence. Most sages agree that the creature somehow senses movement, since it will never attack a motionless creature that it hasn't already captured with at least one tentacle. Combat At the first moment that a potential prey comes within range, one or more of the tentacles lashes out and attempts to wrap itself around the animal. This requires a successful attack roll. A successful capture means that the target creature is grasped by at least one tentacle, and suffers 1d8 hit points of crushing damage. Each subsequent round - unless the creature manages to escape - the tentacle continues to crush its target for maximum damage, and attempts to drag it towards the central body of the plant. Unless the plant has to contend with more than one target simultaneously, it will continue to wrap more tentacles around its prey as the unfortunate animal is dragged closer to its central body. A single creature can be attacked by no more than 6 tentacles. Subsequent tentacle attacks receive a +2 bonus to their attack rolls for each tentacle already gripping the target. In addition to crushing damage, the tentacles of a strangler inflict a more insidious attack on their prey. The tentacles secrete an enzymatic mixture which causes paralysis in its prey. Each round that a creature is in the grip of a strangler, it must make a saving throw vs. poison or become paralyzed. This paralysis lasts until the creature is either dead or freed from the grip of the strangler; in the latter case, the paralysis fades gradually over a period of 2d8 rounds. For each additional tentacle in excess of one that grips a single victim, that victim suffers a -1 penalty to its saving throw against paralysis. Once the strangler has shoved its victim into its fleshy mouth, the victim suffers 1d10 hit points of damage each round from enzymatic secretions (save vs. acid for half damage). In addition, the victim must save vs. breath weapons with a -5 penalty each round it's in the plant's mouth or be paralyzed. The body of a dead creature will be dissolved and unrecoverable after 2d12 hours. The easiest way to free a victim from a strangler tentacle is to cut off the tentacle. A tentacle has AC 7 - as opposed to AC 4 for the central body - and can withstand only 2d8 hit points of damage before it's destroyed. Damage inflicted on tentacles isn't counted against the strangler's total "hit point pool," and can't kill the creature. Only hits against the central body can actually kill the creature. A strangler can regenerate a destroyed tentacle in 1d6 days. It can regenerate multiple tentacles at the same time, although the time complete regeneration takes is increased by one day for each tentacle in excess of one that the plant must re-grow. A strong, un-paralyzed creature might be able to tear itself free from a strangler, or at least prevent itself from being dragged into the central maw. To free himself from a tentacle, a character must make a "bend bars" roll based on Strength. A successful roll means the creature has torn free from one tentacle. Such an attempt takes one entire round in which the character can do nothing else. (Breaking free from a tentacle doesn't mean that same tentacle can't attack again on the next round, of course.) High Strength can also let a character prevent a strangler from dragging him within range of its mouth. The procedure is as follows: First, consider that each tentacle gripping the character has a Strength of 16. Now add together the Strength scores of the captured character plus any other characters who are trying to help him pull away. Compare this to the Strength total of the tentacles currently holding the character. If the characters' total Strength is greater than or equal to the strangler's total strength - that is, 16 times the number of tentacles gripping the victim - then the plant is unable to pull its prey any closer to its mouth. If the characters' total Strength is less than the strangler's total strength, however, the plant continues to drag its prey closer. (For example: Balfas the warrior (Str 14) is grabbed by two strangler tentacles. Balfas' friends Adria (Str 9) and Lykan (Str 12) try to help him resist the plant's pull. The characters' total Strength is 35; the strangler's total Strength for the two tentacles is 32 (16 X 2). Balfas and friends can resist the pull of the strangler... just. If the plant scores a hit with another tentacle, Balfas and his two friends will be unable to resist any longer.) It's important to remember that anyone trying to help a captured victim is by definition within range of at least one other tentacle... Fire- and heat-based attacks do double damage to a strangler. All other attack forms do normal damage. Since the plant has no mind as such, it is totally immune to charm, illusions, and other mind-affecting magic. Habitat/Society Stranglers are non-mobile and totally unintelligent. They cannot communicate with their own kind in any way. Every 250 days or so, a single blood-red flower blooms atop a strangler's central body. This flower is beautiful to see, but smells of carrion. The flower remains open for several days, then the seed pod below the flower bursts, scattering seeds to the winds. Since there are no insects or birds on Plata to fertilize the stranglers, the plants must depend solely on the wind to do so - not a particularly effective strategy. The relative frequency of the plants proves that this scheme does work, however. Ecology Stranglers are virtually perfect "opportunistic predators." If animal prey wanders within its grasp, the plant will eat it. If no animals come near, however, the plant is perfectly happy to subsist purely on photosynthesis. The humanoids of Plata hate stranglers with a passion, and have sometimes tried to wipe the entire species out... with little to no success. The aarakocra consider the red blossoms to be the greatest of delicacies, and sometimes will risk attacks from stranglers to snatch the flowers. References * Spelljammer reference: SJR4 Practical Planetology * TSR reference: TSR 9328 * ISBN: Category:Spelljammer creatures Category:SJR4 canon